


Her Dragon Tamer

by AussieHighlandLass



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Charlie Weasley, BAMF Fleur Delacour, Canon Divergence - Post-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dragons, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:14:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25044451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieHighlandLass/pseuds/AussieHighlandLass
Summary: Emiko is a shy girl happy to live her life in the shadows. However, that all changes after she runs into a confident redhead boy during the QWC and later finds her life shifting at a rapid pace. Her birth right is now coming into play and her hormones are already out of whack without throwing her first ever crush into the mix. What's a girl to do? Hold on for the ride, I guess.
Relationships: Charlie Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Her Dragon Tamer

**Author's Note:**

> I have always wanted to do an OC/Charlie Weasley fanfiction and this story is the result of that. Posting will likely be irregular as I use writing as a form of stress relief and don't want to counteract that by trying to keep to a regular posting schedule. I am very particular about the chapters I post, wanting them to be as good as I can possibly make them. This takes time and I ask that you be patient with me.
> 
> With that said, this story will differ from the books and movies in some ways and will not heavily feature the Golden Trio after the events of the Goblet of Fire. If you're looking for a story where someone else joins the Golden Trio on all their adventures than this story isn't for you.
> 
> Emiko is based on Hinata Hyuga from the anime Naruto in both appearance and personality.
> 
> "Speaking in French."
> 
> "Speaking in Japanese."
> 
> Because I don't want to butcher beautiful languages by using Google translate.

**Chapter One**

Emiko followed closely behind her father as they made their way through the crowd of people trying to find their situated areas before the game began. She was excited to be attending the Quidditch World Cup this year and her father had been more than happy to accompany her when she had told him of her desire to go. As a quidditch player at her own school, Emiko was eager to see the professionals in action; she herself would love to play Quidditch professionally once she graduated at the end of the year.

"Our tent should be just down here," her father told her, his french accent much stronger than Emiko's. His English was flawless though; having learned it once he had found out that her mother had only known Japanese and English when she had met him. Emiko herself spoke flawless English, French and Japanese because of her own mixed heritage. Her father had made sure that the tutor he had hired to teach her Japanese was the best money could afford; considering her mother had passed giving birth to Emiko and her father still had no idea how to speak anything other than basic Japanese. He hadn't wanted Emiko to ignore her Japanese heritage; they even spent holidays in Japan so she could connect with her mother's relatives.

Emiko was wearing her own Quidditch jersey; though, she had charmed her hair to support the Bulgarian Team. People stopped to stare at her as she passed them but Emiko paid no mind to them. She was used to the stares; though, no one at her school did it anymore. Her eyes put a lot of people off and many thought she was blind. However, the lavender tinged white eyes were simply a family trait she had inherited from her mother and didn't affect her vision at all; if anything, Emiko could see far better than most people which was a major advantage when playing sports.

"Ah," her father exclaimed and Emiko smiled at the youthful skip he seemed to have developed since they had arrived, "here it is."

From the front, their tent was nothing special but Emiko knew how magic worked and smiled brightly as she entered the spacious tent. There were two bedroom, a bathroom, and a large kitchen/dining/living area. Everything was clean and properly stored away and Emiko easily made her way across the space and towards her own bedroom. She placed her overnight bag on the bed before she made her way back into the living area. Her father was walking around the area; studying the object in the tent and Emiko just watched him for a moment.

Her father was a young wizard of barely forty years and none of those years showed in his youthful features. That is, until you looked into his eyes. As an Auror, her father had seen many things in his time and though he tried to keep those thing from Emiko; she was still around to hear him crying out in his sleep. The years had not been kind to him; not only was he a single father, but Auror missions meant he was away more often than he preferred and every time he came home his eyes seemed to be more haunted.

Emiko tried to ease his burden as much as she could. She wasn't a troublesome child and helped out around the manor whenever she could. Of course, their house elves protested her actions but once Emiko had convinced them that she didn't think they weren't doing their jobs properly, they eased up on her. Madame Delacour often visited too, to make sure Emiko was doing well in school and that all the lessons Madame Delacour had given her as a child weren't going to waste.

Emiko didn't mind the visits; whenever Madame Delacour came up she would bring Emiko's best friend Fleur and little Gabrielle with her. Fleur had been a part of Emiko's life for as long as she could remember and the quarter Veela was always happy to be around Emiko. Emiko suspected this had everything to do with the fact that, unlike the other students at their school, Emiko wasn't jealous of Fleur nor did she fall at the blondes feet. They had been the closest of friends and that hadn't changed even when Fleur became the Belle of Beauxbatons and Emiko seemed to fade into the background.

"I think I'm going to look around a little, father," Emiko spoke up, watching her father turn to face her with a soft, sad smile on his face. Emiko knew that whenever her father looked at her, he would see her mother. She had been told many times that she could be a carbon copy of the woman she had never had the pleasure to meet.

"Okay, Emi," he replied, "make sure you get back in time for us to head to the stadium, okay?"

"Of course."

Walking up and placing a kiss on her father's smooth cheek, Emiko made her way out of the tent and joined the hustle and bustle of the Quidditch fans. She was interested in seeing what she could find as she explored the camping area and her head seemed to be on a constant swivel as she walked around.

Emiko smiled softly as she watched the small children run around the area with toy brooms and oversized Quidditch jerseys. There were flashes of reds and greens; different people from different walks of life gathering for a sport they loved. There were friendly squabbles over whose team was better and several bets going on as to who would win this match. Emiko made her way to the stalls and bought herself a scarf with the Bulgarian team members signatures on it. She wrapped it around herself and buried her chin in its warmth as the crisp air blew her long blue/black hair around her face.

She frowned at having forgotten her coat and was thinking about returning to the tent to get it when she accidently walked into someone. Emiko squeaked as her face was squashed against a firm chest, her hands coming up to grip the persons shirt to keep herself from falling over as she tried to steady herself. "I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered, her face heating up as she looked at a spot on the shirt, refusing to meet the persons gaze. "I sh-should have been w-watching where I-I was going," she continued.

There was a chuckle from the man she had run into and Emiko's face flushed further at the deep baritone. It warmed her body in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable and, when she realised she was still tightly gripping their shirt, she hastily stepped back only to trip over a rock. Another squeak escaped her lips as she felt herself falling back only for two large, calloused hands to gently wrap around her upper arms and pull her back to the firm chest.

"Easy there," the owner of the voice said, amusement tinged in his voice, "wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, yeah? And don't worry about earlier; I wasn't exactly paying attention myself so no harm done."

He dropped his hands once she was stable and Emiko buried her head back in her scarf in the hopes of hiding her blush. She knew her attempts were probably futile but she had never been good with talking to others; usually, she left socializing to Fleur who was much more confident than she was. Not that Fleur had any reason to be uncomfortable; the young woman was absolutely gorgeous and even those who were jealous of her could see that.

"I'm Charlie."

Emiko startled from her thoughts at his voice. She was sure that he would have walked away by now when it was obvious she wasn't really going to speak or even look at him. A hand was shoved into her line of sight and Emiko could clearly see the callouses she had felt against her skin earlier. She could also see a lot of scars of various sizes and ages. Curiously, she wondered what he did for a living that would give him so many scars and callouses.

Realising that she was being rude, Emiko quickly placed her hand in his and shook it firmly. If anyone ever asked, she would vehemently deny that she liked the way his callouses felt against her smooth skin. His grip was firm but not enough to be painful to her and her hand almost vanished in his own larger one. Still staring at the hand, she noticed several light freckles that went up his arm and by the colour of them, Emiko assumed he was a redhead. She wondered if he was a part of the large group of redheads she had seen earlier but quickly shook the thought off as fast as she dropped his hand.

"E-Emiko," she replied quickly, shivering as the wind rushed around her. Emiko jumped when a heavy jacket was placed on her slim shoulders a moment later; her wide eyes flashing up to Charlie's face to see him frowning slightly.

"You're cold," he stated simply at her look, "it's obvious you're not from around here; the weather in England can take a while to get used to when you're not used to it."

Emiko didn't say anything in reply. She was too busy looking over the man in front of her. He was taller than her; though, everyone she met seemed to be taller than she was. His red hair fell to his shoulders and was partially tied up in a manbun, as she believed they were called. He had so many freckles that they seemed to almost meld together and made him look rather tanned. His blue eyes were filled with amusement and mischievousness and he had the makings of a neatly trimmed beard. High cheekbones were still obvious and Emiko had already felt the muscle he possessed but seeing it so defined in the short sleeved shirt he was wearing and the form fitting muggle jeans made her face heat up further.

"T-Thank you," she stuttered, burying herself further into the jacket as the wind continued to rush around them. He seemed unaffected by the cold and it made Emiko feel less guilty that he had given up his jacket for her.

"No problem," he smiled, showing straight white teeth. She was sure that smile had won many a woman's hearts and dropped her eyes back to her boots. "I'll see you later, Emiko," he said and Emiko looked up when his voice sounded further away.

"W-what about you-your jacket?" she called out to him.

He threw her a boyish grin that made her stomach flip strangely, "you can give it back to me later," he replied easily, "it gives me a reason to talk to you again."

She saw that he was being waved over by two twins that seemed to be slightly younger than she was. They were giving her sly smirks and wriggling their eyebrows at her. Emiko's blush covered the entirety of her face, ears and neck at their actions and she quickly turned away; but not before she saw Charlie whack them both over the head.

Burying herself further into the jacket and the warmth it provided her, Emiko turned back towards her tent so that she could replace his jacket with her own coat. It was only when she got back to the tent and the heating charm surrounded her that Emiko felt like slapping herself. She was a witch and hadn't thought to cast the simplest of spells to keep her warm. However, she found herself not entirely regretting her forgetfulness as the masculine smell that emanated from the jacket surrounded her.

" _Emi!_ "

Emiko jumped at the squeal and looked up in time to catch Gabrielle as she rushed at her. She swept the younger girl up into a strong hug; one deceptively stronger than it looked like she possessed. "Gabby," she smiled, twirling the girl around before she placed her back on her own two feet, " _why are you here? Where is Fleur?_ "

" _I'm right here,_ " came the amused reply and Emiko looked up to see Fleur lounging in one of the chairs in the corner of the room as she read a book, " _your father told me to inform you that we are to meet him and my mother at our tent before the match._ " Fleur looked her over and Emiko felt her blush return when her friend smirked at the sight of the jacket, " _we_ will _be talking about this later, Emiko. For now, I want to hear about your holiday's; did you bring me anything back from Japan?_ "

Emiko grinned widely, momentarily forgetting that her best friend would no doubt corner her later to interrogate her about the jacket.

* * *

Charlie watched the petite woman disappear into the crowd and didn't look away until he could no longer see her blue/black hair over the crowd. He was ignoring the questions from his brothers in favour of recalling the very short conversation he had had with the strange witch. It was obvious she was shy, she had barely been able to meet his eyes for longer than a few seconds at a time and it was oddly endearing.

He couldn't get her eyes out of this head but not for the reasons he knew his brothers would assume if he told them. Charlie had never seen eyes like hers; they were beautifully captivating and it made him curious about just what kind of genetic mutation had caused that specific trait. He didn't know what they reminded him of more; the Antipodean Opaleye, the Hebridean Black, or the Swedish Short-Snout.

"Who was that?" Fred asked, nudging Charlie playfully as he wiggled his eyebrows, "she was cute; weird eyes, but cute."

"She said her name was Emiko," he told them, knowing they wouldn't let up until he answered them.

"And why did you give sweet little _Emiko_ your favourite jacket?" George teased, batting his eyelashes as he pretended to fawn all over Charlie, "I didn't know you were such a gentleman; didn't you tell Ginny to get her own coat when she asked if she could wear your precious jacket?"

Charlie rolled his eyes even though his brother had a point. The jacket he had given to Emiko was a gift from his mentor and was very important to him; he barely found himself parted with it and _never_ let anyone else wear it. He chalked it up to the fact her eyes reminded him of the dragons he loved so much; nothing more and nothing less.

"Boys!"

All three Weasley's looked up to see their dad waving them over and Charlie was thankful for the distraction. Without really thinking about it, he found himself looking back in the direction he had met Emiko only to catch on to what he was doing and force himself to turn away.

He shook his head; he would see her again to get his jacket and then they would go their separate ways. His life would return to normal and he would happily return to Romania and his dragons.

If only fate had the same idea as him.

* * *

" _Come on, Emi!_ "

Emiko laughed as she allowed Gabrielle to drag her through the crowd. She and Fleur shared a smile at the younger Delacour's exuberance before Madame Delacour and Emiko's father came into view.

" _Emiko_ ," Madame Delacour cooed at her adoptive daughter as she swept her into a hug, kissing both of her cheeks before she stepped back and looked her over. She spied the jacket that neatly rested over Emiko's arm and frowned, " _where did you get that? I thought we spoke about wearing such large clothes, Emiko. You are a beautiful woman and shouldn't hide it beneath frumpy fashion._ "

Emiko flushed at Madame Delacour's words as Fleur tried to hide her sniggers. Sending a subtle glare to her best friend, Emiko quickly turned back to Madame Delacour and smiled shyly, " _I ran into someone and he offered me his jacket when he realised I was cold. I plan to find him after the game and return it now that I am wearing my own coat again._ "

She knew that Madame Delacour didn't like it when she wore clothes that were too big for her. Emiko had done it since she was a child and had only stopped when she had hit puberty when she was fifteen. Once she had developed more subtle hips and a generous bust, Madame Delacour and Fleur refused to allow her to hide them any longer. Fleur had even charmed her old clothes so that if she tried to leave the house with them on they would disappear. She knew the counter spell for it but Emiko found it funny that her friend would go to such lengths and had decided to keep the charm in place.

Madame Delacour nodded her head at Emiko's reply before she turned to her father and took his offered arm, motioning for the three girls to follow them. Emiko and Fleur shared an amused glance before they hurried after the two adults. " _So, I will get a chance to meet this mysterious gentleman after the game?_ " Fleur teased gently.

Emiko's face flushed at the very idea of Fleur meeting Charlie and was surprised by the sudden jolt of dread that shot through her at the idea. Fleur was much more beautiful than Emiko and her Veela heritage often meant that Emiko was completely overshadowed when Fleur was around. Usually, Emiko was grateful to have the attention on someone else but the idea that Charlie would find Fleur far more interesting than her made her feel oddly jealous. Emiko couldn't remember the last time she had been jealous and it wasn't a feeling she liked at all.

A soft hand on her shoulder had Emiko stopping and looking at Fleur who was studying her closely. " _You're afraid,_ " she stated softly, " _you are worried he will be drawn in by my thrall._ "

" _It's okay_ ," she assured Fleur, seeing the guilty look in her friends eyes, " _I know you have no control over it, Fleur. Besides, I only met Charlie tonight and only for a moment. I have no reason to feel this way and I'm confused as to why I do._ "

This comment made Fleur smirk, " _you like him._ "

Emiko didn't know how many times she would blush tonight as she found her face warming again. " _I don't even know him_ ," she protested.

Fleur shrugged, " _you do not have to know someone to have a crush on them, Emiko._ "

She had never had a crush before. Emiko was the girl that always found herself in the library at Beauxbatons. Too focused on her studies to even care about boys. There was no way that she would experience her first crush at seventeen and with a wizard she only knew by name. And yet, she found herself feeling warm at the idea of seeing him again. Honestly, she felt ridiculous and highly contemplated giving his jacket to Fleur along with a description of him so she could give it to him instead.

Her friend must have realised what the look on her face meant before Emiko hissed as Fleur's nails suddenly pressed into her shoulder and her eyes became serious. " _You are not going to run away from this, Emiko_ ," Fleur told her, " _there is nothing wrong with having a crush. It is a perfectly natural response to a handsome man._ "

" _I do not 'crush',_ " Emiko replied quickly, " _I do not even know how to 'crush'._ " Fleur giggled and Emiko glared at her from under her bangs, " _it's not funny, Fleur!_ "

" _Of course it isn't, Emi,_ " Fleur giggled, " _but you're just too cute sometimes. Come on, we do not want to miss the game_."

Emiko allowed Fleur to grab her hand and lead her through the crowd. They had already lost their parents and Gabrielle but had both been informed of where they would be sitting so that they could find it if they were separated.

They were almost to their area when Emiko found herself walking into someone for the second time that night. This time, Fleur was there to catch her as she stumbled back with an apology already on her lips.

"Watch where you're going," the person hissed and Emiko recoiled at the amount of venom lacing their words.

"I'm s-sorry," she mumbled, keeping her eyes downcast but still noticing the expensive suit on the man opposite her.

"You will be if you don't watch yourself."

Emiko could feel Fleur bristling behind her. Her best friend's English wasn't the best but it didn't have to be to know what this man was saying to her. His tone spoke volumes about how he was treating her and Emiko knew Fleur wouldn't stand for it.

"How dahre you tahlk to hair like zat!" Fleur growled, her accent heavy.

" _It's okay, Fleur,_ " she assured her friend, " _he is not worth your ire._ "

" _Do you have any idea who I am?!_ "

Emiko's eyes widened at the man's perfect French before she looked up and saw the startlingly bright blonde hair on his head. She groaned, every Pureblood, whether English or French knew who the Malfoy's were and they were definitely a family Emiko would have liked to go her entire life without meeting.

" _She apologised you ignorant oaf_ ," Fleur continued, obviously uncaring of just who this boy was.

" _Why you… my father will hear about this!_ "

Fleur straightened and crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped in front of Emiko. Emiko was thankful that her friend was taking the attention away from her, the brat was making her uncomfortable and she just wanted to find her father, Madame Delacour and Gabrielle so she could enjoy the game.

" _Like I'm scared of your father! Everyone in France knows that the Malfoy's magic is seriously depleted because of inbreeding. You're lucky you were even born with magic you little brat_ ," Fleur hissed, her own magical aura responding to her anger.

" _Fleur,_ " Emiko admonished softly, even if she agreed with what her friend was saying, " _be nice._ "

" _I will not,_ " she replied, never taking her eyes off the Malfoy heir, " _you are a Devereux and he should show you the respect you are deserved. Not to mention you are a…_ "

" _Fleur!_ " Emiko hissed, keeping her friend from spilling any unnecessary information.

Fleur huffed before she grabbed Emiko's hand and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder with the other. " _Fine, let's go, Emiko. You are right, this_ boy _doesn't deserve my ire,_ " Fleur commented icily before she shoved passed the Malfoy heir and they hurried up the stairs.

They found the rest of their entourage quickly after that and settled into their seats as they waited for the game to begin. Emiko's excitement had returned now that they were tucked away in their area and she could clearly see the rest of the stadium from where she was seated. Her lavender tinged white eyes sparkled with her childlike glee as she basically leaned over the edge of the railing.

" _Emiko_ ," Madame Delacour scolded gently, " _if you continue to lean over like that, you'll fall. Sit down this instant._ "

" _Let her go, mother,_ " she heard Fleur mutter quietly, " _she's been excited about this for months. Let her have some fun._ "

Emiko patted the pocket of her coat, smiling as she felt her shrunken broom. She had brought it in hopes of getting the Bulgarian Beaters to sign it for her. She knew that they would be making their way to this very box at the end of the game and that her father had arranged for a face to face meeting so that she could get them to sign her broom. It was the newest and fastest model in France and she was very proud of it. She had saved up her own money to purchase it and had kept it in perfect condition since. Emiko was proud of her Quidditch abilities; a trait she shared with her father who had been the Seeker when he had played.

"Hey," she heard someone whisper not too softly from a few seats down, "isn't that the girl Charlie was speaking to earlier? Emiko?"

Emiko's ears perked up at hearing her name and she kept her eyes focused on the stadium even as she charmed her ears to pick up the conversation better.

"Yeah, looks like it. Merlin, those eyes are creepy."

She resisted the urge to frown at the comment but took no offence to it. They were kind of odd after all.

Emiko heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh and two boys groaning before a third voice, a girl, piped up. "Don't be so rude," she hissed, "I think her eyes are beautiful."

Inwardly, Emiko smiled at the girl's comment. It was rare that anyone told her that her eyes were beautiful and it made her feel lighter knowing a complete stranger thought they were beautiful. "Geez, Gin, did you have to hit us so hard?" came the first voice.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna have a bruise later," said the second voice.

"Be glad a bruise is all I give you," 'Gin' muttered, "one more comment about her eyes and I'll Bat Boogey Hex the pair of you."

They fell silent and Emiko was about to cancel out the charm when the girl spoke up again. "You should go talk to her, Charlie," she commented lightly, "she seems nice enough."

"I'll talk to her when the game's over, Gin," Charlie replied and Emiko felt that warm feeling return at hearing his voice. She mentally scolded herself for her reaction before she tuned back into the conversation.

"Well, I'll come with you," 'Gin' said, "I want to meet the girl who managed to get your jacket from you without even trying."

"It's not a big deal, Gin," Charlie groaned and Emiko resisted the urge to smile as his exasperation. She herself was an only child but she had been raised with Fleur and Gabrielle who were like sister's to her and she knew all too well just how they could be.

There came a soft snort before everything once again fell silent and Emiko canceled the charm on her ears so she could focus in on the game which was beginning. Never realising how she clutched his jacket closer to herself.

Or the mischievous smirk on her best friends face as she did.

* * *

Charlie was basically vibrating as the game ended; him and Ginny cheering exuberantly as Ron pouted. The teams were already filing into the box and were surrounded by press the moment they entered. Charlie smirked when Ron went all fangirl over Viktor Krum until his eyes landed on blue/black hair and lavender/white eyes. Emiko was standing beside the Bulgarian team, a shy smile on her face as she spoke with the two large Beaters.

He remembered seeing her in a Quidditch Jersey earlier, the name 'Devereux' on the back. Charlie had tried to think if there were any members on either team with that last name but had soon came to the realization that she had been wearing her own Quidditch jersey. He was surprised that someone so shy and petite played such a brutal sport.

"Are you going to go talk to her or just stare at her?"

Charlie looked down at Ginny who was smirking up at him before her eyes moved to Emiko. "She's busy," Charlie told her easily, even though he was excited to talk to her once more. He was eager to see her face redden with that cute blush that seemed to be permanently attached to her face when she spoke. Her cheeks were already pink as she spoke with the Bulgarian Beaters but Charlie wanted to see her whole face flushed.

He shook his head of the thought; frowning at the oddity of it. Charlie was more than happy to be single; the only women he needed in his life were Ginny, his mom, and his dragons. Sure, there were a few one-night-stands here and there but Charlie wasn't really the 'dating' type much to his mother's dismay. He especially didn't go for shy women who seemed unable to speak in whole sentences without stuttering. His usual bedmates were confident women who knew that all he wanted was good sex. They knew the power their bodies had over men and used it to the best of their abilities to get where they wanted.

Charlie was drawn from his thought when his sister's voice reached his ears.

"Hi, I'm Ginny."

He looked up to see that his sister had approached Emiko and was currently striking up a conversation with the flustered witch.

"E-Emiko," she replied shyly, ducking her head as she shook Ginny's offered hand.

"I know," Ginny smiled, "you're the girl my brother almost knocked over earlier. Sorry about him; he always seems to zone out at the worst possible moments."

Emiko furiously shook her head. "N-no, it was my fa-fault," she replied quickly and Charlie felt himself smiling at just how cute she looked, clutching his jacket to her chest as she blushed furiously. "I was-wasn't watching where I w-was going," she finished.

Ginny shrugged easily and gave Emiko a large smile, "I love your eyes," she said, changing the conversation easily.

Her comment seemed to both surprise and flatter the witch who tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "T-thank you, Ginny," she replied with a smile, "I l-love you hair."

Charlie didn't miss the way Ginny's ears turned red and grinned as he made his way over to the two witches. He had just reached them when a beautiful blonde stepped up beside Emiko with a wide smile. Charlie looked her over, noticing the resemblance this woman had to the Veela's that had been on the field earlier. He waited to be ensnared by her thrall but found it easy to resist even as he felt its pull. _She must only be a quarter Veela or less,_ he thought as he averted his gaze back to Emiko who was frowning. Charlie didn't like the frown being on her face and was thankful when Ginny spoke.

"You're a fan of Bulgaria, yeah? You asked those Beaters for their autographs," she commented lightly.

Emiko smiled shyly as she turned to look at the two large Beaters and Charlie tried to deny that the stab in his gut was jealousy. "They promised to s-sign my broom after th-their interview," she replied to Ginny.

"Do you play?" Charlie found himself asking, curious to see if his earlier assumption had been correct.

" _Oui_ ," the blonde Veela replied for her, smiling like a proud older sister. Charlie noticed his own sister glaring at the blonde and wondered why Ginny seemed to dislike the blonde, "Emeeko ees ze Beatair on our school team," she continued, undeterred by Ginny's obvious dislike of her.

"You're a Beater?" Charlie asked Emiko, his eyes widening at the idea of this petite witch being able to hit a Quaffle hard enough to be effective in a game of Quidditch.

His tone of voice must have offended the blonde Veela who puffed up like a mother ready to defend her young. "Emeeko ees a strong weetch ahnd a tahlented Quiddeetch playair," she growled, her eyes flashing with her indignation.

Charlie raised his hands in a placating manner as he flashed the witch an easy grin. "I'm not saying she isn't," he assured the angry witch, "I'm sure Emiko is capable of anything she puts her mind to." At this, Charlie turned to Emiko and winked at her, smiling as her face turned a deep shade of red. "I only asked because being a Beater is the most physically demanding position of the team and Emiko is so… petite," he continued, choosing his words carefully and ignoring the amused smirk on his sister's face as she stood beside Emiko.

"I t-train hard," Emiko replied, "a-and I'm fast on a b-broom."

"Why not become a Seeker?" Ginny asked curiously.

Emiko shrugged, "i-it was already ta-taken."

Before anyone could say anything further, the two Beaters walked over to their small group. Charlie found himself straightening unconsciously as they approached, their eyes on Emiko and her friend. Her friend seemed to lap up the attention but Charlie observed as Emiko seemed to bury herself further into her coat; clinging to his jacket as she offered them a shy smile.

Charlie only half listened as the two Beaters spoke with Emiko before she pulled something out of her pocket. He heard Ginny let out a choked sound as Emiko reversed the shrinking charm on the broomstick. "Oh, you have a Firebolt!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly, "Harry has one of those too; it's wicked fast and maneuverable."

Emiko smiled at Ginny and Charlie noticed the smile was similar to the one she kept giving her friend. He was happy for this, his sister could do with more friends of the female persuasion and Ginny seemed to like Emiko. "I-I bought it t-this summer," she replied.

The two Beaters signed the broom without prompting and Charlie watched as one even added his number. His hands curled into fists and he quickly shoved them into the pockets of his jeans to keep them hidden. The second Beater handed a sheet of parchment to the blonde who tucked it neatly into her pocket with a bright smile at the Beater before they both walked away.

"I wanted their signatures not their numbers," Charlie heard Emiko mutter to Fleur, not a stutter in the entire sentence and he realised that she only seemed to stutter around people she didn't know. He watched as she slid her pale finger over the number and hid his smirk as it vanished from the sleek broom.

Her friend said something to her in French and Charlie watched Emiko roll her eyes before she replied. She turned back to him and his sister after that and smiled shyly at the both of them. "W-We should be getting b-back to our tent," she informed them quietly and Charlie ignored the disappointment he felt at her words.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod of his head, "we should be heading back as well."

Emiko bid him and Ginny a quick goodbye before her friend was dragging her away. It was only when he could no longer see them that he even felt Ginny nudging him none-too-gently in the ribs. "What?" he asked, rubbing his battered side.

Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You forgot to get your jacket back," she told him with an amused smirk.

"Shit!"

* * *

Emiko had been sleeping when she heard the shouts and screams. Her father wasn't in the tent with her and Emiko worried that he might be hurt. Reaching for her coat, Emiko threw it on and ran out of the tent with her wand raised and a plethora of spells coming to mind. She froze at the sight of black cloaks and strange masks.

Even with her sheltered upbringing, Emiko was very familiar with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It wasn't hard to realise who these people were and once she did, Emiko knew she needed to get out of there. However, she refused to leave without her father.

Steeling herself, Emiko ran into the crowd of panicked witches and wizards, her father's name escaping her lips as she began her search.

Emiko managed to avoid the spells being flung around with the ease that came from years of Quidditch training. She continued to call for her father when she caught a flash of red hair and turned to see Ginny being cornered by two Death Eaters. The young girl looked both frightened and angry; Emiko remembered that the British Ministry had rules against underage magic use and shook her head.

She ran forward, ducking around witches and wizards with a speed that seemed unnatural before jumping in front of the young redhead as one of the Death Eaters sent a slicing jinx at her. Even with Emiko's shield, the spell managed to hit her. Thankfully, her shield managed to take most of the bite out of the spell but she still had to bite her tongue as she felt the wounds opening up on her stomach.

"Bombarda!" she cried, pointing her wand at the ground in front of the two Death Eaters. They were sent flying backwards and Emiko didn't waste any time as she grabbed Ginny's hand and ran off with the younger Weasley. "Where are your brothers?" she called over her shoulders as they ran, Emiko trying to ignore the pain in her stomach and the feeling of her shirt being soaked in blood.

"I'm not sure!" Ginny yelled from slightly behind her, her hand still tightly grasped in Emiko's hand, "I was with the twins when we got separated."

Emiko nodded before she pulled Ginny behind a tent and reached into the pocket of her coat only to stop when she realised she had thrown on Charlie's jacket instead. She wanted to roll her eyes at her own stupidity but shook it off before she raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum," she said, watching as the wispy Shiba Inu appeared before her. "Lead us to Fleur," she told it softly before she watched it nod its head and move into the crowd.

"Emiko, you're hurt!" Ginny exclaimed, dropping Emiko's hand as her own moved to the older witches shirt. The shirt was shredded from the spell that had been aimed at her and Ginny felt her eyes water at the sight of the three large slashes she could see through the fabric. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "you got hurt because of me."

Emiko shook her head, "I got hurt because of _them_. Not you, Ginny; do not even think about blaming yourself."

Ginny studied her lavender/white eyes and nodded mutely before the two girls ran after the Patronus. "When we find Fleur, we will have someone go out and find your family," Emiko informed the younger witch, "they must be worried sick about you."

Ginny noticed that Emiko had stopped stuttering but figured now wasn't the best time to question it. It seemed that Emiko only stuttered when she was flustered and this situation left no room to be flustered.

They were running for what seemed like an hour but was barely twenty minutes when Emiko was suddenly pushing Ginny out of the way before the older witch was sent flying back and into a nearby tree. They had run into the forest and away from the crowds about five minutes ago and Ginny had been wandering how long it would take to find Emiko's family. She hadn't been paying attention and once again, Emiko had suffered for it.

"Emiko!" Ginny cried, rushing over to the seemingly unconscious woman.

"Well, looky what I found 'ere," came the greasy voice of the masked Death Eater in front of them. Ginny glared fiercely at him but felt helpless; she couldn't use her magic outside of school and she couldn't defend them.

"Stay away from us," she shouted, moving so she was protecting Emiko as best as she could.

The man beneath the mask laughed lowly and the sound sent a shiver down Ginny's spine. "I'm gonna enjoy this," he purred vilely as he took a step forward with his wand raised at Ginny's chest.

Ginny closed her eyes but kept her stance in front of Emiko. She wouldn't let this man at her new friend. Her body shook as she heard the man begin to utter the beginnings of the killing curse only for him to be cut off by his own scream. Ginny's eyes flew open and widened as she saw a strange looking dog attacking the Death Eater.

It clamped its jaw down on the Death Eater's wand arm and Ginny winced as she heard the sound of breaking bone as the Death Eater tried to fling the dog away from him. Ginny went to check on Emiko only to see her friend missing. Her eyes darted back to the dog in time to see it flung away from the Death Eater. It yelped as it hit a nearby tree and that was when Ginny saw the three slashes on its underbelly. The dog was Emiko; she was an Animagus.

Emiko shook her head off before she was rushing at the Death Eater with a deep growl. Ginny watched her jump at the Death Eater, forcing him to the ground before she jumped away from him. She picked his wand up and snapped it with her strong jaw and sharp teeth. When she was finished, Emiko moved back towards Ginny and took up a protective stance in front of the younger witch, growling lowly at the Death Eater who was still crying out as he grabbed his arm.

There was the sound of leaves being disturbed and Ginny and Emiko turned in the direction the sound was coming from. Emiko was snarling until two heads of blonde hair appeared out of the trees. Ginny recognised the younger of the two witches as Emiko's friend from the stadium and the older woman was obviously her relative. A low whine from Emiko drew Ginny's gaze back to her friend to see her laying on her side moments before the pain she was in forced her to shift back to her human form.

Ginny was quick to remove her robe and toss it over Emiko's naked form as the two blondes rushed forward. The oldest of the two bound the Death Eater with a fierce glare on her face before she dropped to her knees before Emiko.

They spoke in rapid French and Ginny couldn't keep up with what was going on before the woman was suddenly facing Ginny with a piercing gaze. She spoke something in French but Ginny merely furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't understand," she almost yelled as she threw her hands up.

"She wants to know how Emeeko came to be een ziss state," the younger blonde replied in heavily accented English.

"She jumped in front of a slicing hex that was sent at me," Ginny explained quickly, "and then took another spell that was aimed at me again."

The younger blonde quickly explained all of this to the older blonde who seemed to curse in French; apparently, an occurrence that was rare if the younger blondes surprised look was anything to go by. They exchanged a few more words before the older blonde stood and magically raised Emiko before hurrying back in the direction she had come from.

Ginny turned to look at the other blonde who had also stood to her feet and was looking down at Ginny curiously. "Come on, we will send out a Patronus for your fahmeely once we reach ze safe point," she told Ginny softly, holding out her hand for the younger witch. Ginny picked up Emiko's discarded clothes and her brothers prized jacket before she took her hand moments before she felt the effects of apparition.

* * *

They still couldn't find Ginny. Charlie had caught up with the twins in the chaos only to realise his little sister was missing. The three Weasley's made their way back to the last location the twins had seen Ginny before they had been separated in the chaos only to find Ginny gone and a large hole where she had been. To say the family was panicking would be the understatement of the century.

They had found Harry, Hermione, and Ron after the chaos had settled down but the Dark Mark that had been in the air had everyone on edge. Now, they were furiously searching the area for any sign of Ginny, preying they wouldn't find her amongst the seriously injured or, Merlin forbid, the dead.

It was as Charlie and Arthur were searching the surrounding forest that they saw what looked to be a small group of tents away from the main camping area. They were approaching it in hopes that they had seen any sight of Ginny when a mild stinging hex was thrown at them. Charlie easily deflect the spell and erected a shield around him and his dad as someone began shouting to them in French.

"We're not here to hurt anyone," his dad yelled to the camp, looking for any sign of the witch or wizard that had sent the hex at them, "we're looking for my daughter, Ginny!"

There was silence for what felt like forever before the sweetest sound reached their ears. "Dad?" Ginny called before they saw her running out of the camp sans her robe but seemingly unharmed.

Charlie and Arthur ran forward, Arthur pulling Ginny into a tight hug that she eagerly returned. "We've been looking for hours," their dad breathed into her hair, "I didn't know if you were alive or not."

"I'm sorry," Charlie heard Ginny mumble, "I got separated from the twins and then I was cornered by two Death Eaters…"

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked hurriedly, pulling away to look her over, "did they hurt you?"

Ginny shook her head, "they sent a slicing hex at me but Emiko jumped in front of me."

Charlie felt dread pool in his stomach. It was warring with the relief he felt that Ginny hadn't been harmed by the hex. "Is she okay?" he asked quickly, ignoring the curious look his dad was throwing at him.

Ginny's eyes shimmered with fresh tears and Charlie felt the dread increase. "She's in with a healer now," she told him softly, "she'll have some scars but she should be okay. She has a bit of a concussion; she took another spell when we were running in the forest and then was thrown against a tree when she turned into her Animagus form to attack the Death Eater. She was amazing."

Ginny stepped forward and gently shoved something towards Charlie. He looked down, seeing his jacket slung over her arm. "I grabbed it before we came here," she told him quietly, "she was wearing it before she changed."

Charlie nodded mutely as he took his jacket and shrugged it on. He felt his family's eyes on him but he couldn't remove his own gaze from the tent Ginny had run from. Was Emiko in there? Was she really okay? Before he realised it, Charlie was marching forward; the urge to check on her was overwhelming and the sight of two stern older witches standing guard out front of her tent didn't faze him.

Of course, his presence fazed them and Charlie stopped as they barred the entrance of the tent and raised their wands so they were pointing at his chest. Before Charlie could say anything, Emiko's blonde friend hurried out of the tent and muttered something to the older women is rapid French. They gave her individual long stares before they returned to their posts on either side of the tent as the blonde waved him inside.

Charlie didn't need further prompting and hurriedly ducked inside of the tent before stretching to his full height. The smell of incense and potions filled his nose but they were pushed to the back of his mind as he spied Emiko's unconscious form.

She was laying on a large bed, her body buried beneath a large fur blanket. Charlie's eyes moved across her face, taking in the peaceful look as she slept. His eyes moved from her face to her bared shoulders and ignored the flash of desire that shot through him at the sight of the creamy skin. It seemed to shimmer slightly in the light of the fire and Charlie could have sworn that her skin almost resembled light pearlescent scales. He shook his head, the very thought was ridiculous.

"She ees fine," her blonde friend assured him, moving to sit in the large plush chair at the side of the bed. Charlie watched as she changed the damp cloth on Emiko's forehead before her gaze met his once more. "She exhausted her mageec. Tonight ees ze first time Emeeko hahd successfully transformed eento her Aneemagus form and ze mageecal depletion and her earliair wounds were seemply too much for her body," she informed him softly.

"Ginny said she would have scars?" he asked. Honestly, scars didn't bother him but he knew that a lot of women were adverse to having them and he couldn't imagine someone like Emiko would like having scars. Her skin seemed so flawless, he doubted she'd ever had a scar in her life.

" _Oui_ ," she replied with a nod of her head, "ze slicing jeenx managed to cut deep enough zat a scar will remain but Emeeko will not mind. She has many scars from her time spent een Japan and eesn't bothered by zem anymore."

Charlie wanted to ask what Emiko did in Japan that caused her to have scars. However, he knew that was something he should solely ask Emiko and not find out through her friend. Instead he moved closer to the bed and trailed his eyes over Emiko one last time to make sure she was okay.

"Eef you plan to pursue her, know zat she ees by no means an easy woman. Emeeko ees eennocent to much of ze world and doesn't understand a lot of sings. Whether you want friendsheep or to pursue sometheeng more; do so knoweeng zat you could easeely hurt her and zat, eef you do, I am not ze only person who will be out for blood. Emeeko knows far scarier creatures zan Veela's."

He didn't reply to her. Instead, he grabbed a nearby piece of parchment and tapped his wand against it. Charlie smiled as the words appeared on the parchment before they sank into it and it transformed into an origami dragon. The dragon flapped its little paper wings before it flew over to the sleeping witch and settled itself down beside her, it's tail curling around its body as it hid its head.

Without a word to her blonde haired friend, Charlie left the tent and made his way back to his dad and Ginny. His little sister threw one finally look at the tent before she grabbed Charlie's hand and the siblings and their father disappeared with a sharp _crack!_


End file.
